


Aokuro Short Stories

by Leaves_Crown



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Homecoming, Jealousy, Love, M/M, Pets, Picnic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-18
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:31:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leaves_Crown/pseuds/Leaves_Crown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>1. Aomine loses all interest in cooking, when Kuroko finally comes back home again.<br/>2. After messing up, Aomine is unhappy when Kuroko refuses to talk or sleep in the same bed.<br/>3. Nigou meets Aomine and Aida Riko begins to understand something.<br/>4. This time it’s Aomine who returns home after having been gone for a while.<br/>5. Nagging Kuroko is never a good idea, but especially not when Akashi is present.<br/>6. Kise makes it obvious that Aomine is not the only one who likes Kuroko.<br/>7. They get together on a birthday, and now Kuroko fears they will part on one too.<br/>8. Permission to Kiss<br/>9. Aomine cheated and Kuroko will only stay with him on one condition.<br/>10. Kuroko wants Aomine for himself.<br/>11. Kagami finds out what Kuroko has been doing with Aomine.<br/>12. Aomine likes it when Kuroko protects him.<br/>13. <i>Kuroko is abducted</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red Goo

For seven weeks, Kuroko had not seen Aomine. So Kuroko walked as fast as he could from the subway station, dragging his suitcase. The sun was completely gone when he finally reached his street. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, taking a deep gulp of evening air.

The elevator had apparently started up again in those weeks he had been gone. Grateful for this, he rode it to the eighth flour, to that tiny little place they called home.

Quietly, he opened the door. It surprised him that the only light came from their kitchen. Happy to be rid of his luggage, Kuroko dropped it next to where they put their shoes. He put on the smaller pair of slippers from the doormat and went inside.

A big bag of floor stood on the tiles next to Aomine. The tall man fumbled with a recipe as something unfamiliar was being heated up in a pan he usually used for rice.

Kuroko smiled. He had missed him.

Lifting his slender arms, he stepped into the kitchen area and hugged Aomine from behind.

“GYaaa!”

Aomine jumped, throwing up the spoon he had been using. Something red and sticky flew out of the pan, right onto his thumb. He spun around, dropping his spoon on the floor.

“Tetsu, what the hell?!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, bowing lightly.

“Are you crazy creeping up on me? I'm cooking!”

Kuroko did a step back. “You always do it with me.”

"Yeah, but you can always hear me come. I didn’t even know you were back.” Aomine blew on his painful thumb.

“I’ll go if you don’t want me here.”

Kuroko bowed once more, and turned around, not pleased with this welcome. His arm was grabbed before he could make it out of the kitchen. “Of course I want you here, don’t be stupid.”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

He turned his face away when Aomine tried to kiss him, so Aomine’s lips landed on his hair instead. Not the least bit discouraged, Aomine moved behind him and hugged him from there, his nose resting against the back of Kuroko’s head. “You smell so nice, even after a flight like that.”

“We stopped over in Seoul, so I washed up.”

Kuroko reached for the stove and turned off the gas, quite sure the red goo Aomine had been making would amount to nothing anyway.

“I missed you,” Aomine whispered, tone changing. “I want you.”

His fingers already made their way to the zipper of Kuroko’s pants. The shorted man closed his eyes and leaned his head back against Aomine’s chest. But when Kuroko caressed those hands with his own, Aomine let out a yelp that made his eyes flew open again.

“It's worse than I thought.” Kuroko held Aomine’s bigger hand up so he could study it.

With that he stepped out of the embrace and pulled a reluctant Aomine to the tap.

“It’s fine, Tetsu, let’s just go and…”

“Cold water,” Kuroko said and held the pained thumb under the tap.

Aomine tried to pull back too soon, of course, but desisted when Kuroko gave him his stern look. He only let him go after a good time. 

“It wasn’t boiling, was it?” Kuroko asked, once more checking the thumb.

“I told you it was fine.” Aomine turned off the tap.

“Hmm.”

“I like it when Tetsu takes care of me,” Aomine said slyly.

“I don’t like it when Aomine-kun is rude,” Kuroko countered.

"And I don’t like it when Tetsu calls me that.”

They looked at each other and laughed; Aomine in his loud way and Kuroko a bright smile.

“I thought about kissing you al lot these weeks,” Aomine admitted.

Kuroko nodded in agreement and brought up Aomine’s injured hand.

“I said it wa….” Aomine faltered when Kuroko wrapped his lips around his thumb and sucked. He started gently, sliding it in and out of his mouth. He solely focused on this, until Aomine’s breath hitched. Looking up, he shivered when he saw how Aomine stared down on him, like he was something to be devoured.

It made Kuroko feel both powerful and vulnerable.

“The bedroom?” He asked with a tremble in his voice.

"Anywhere."


	2. Cold Silence

Cold, ice cold in the house. Not just the temperature, though there was that too, but closed doors and heavy silence. 

The night Aomine had told Tetsu that he was going to be in another undercover operation, was the night Tetsu moved his pillow and a blanket to the sofa. Kuroko did not speak to him, did none of those little things he had always taken for granted. Only now he began to realize how much Tetsu had always done for him. Prepare meals, bought his beer, washed his clothes and kept him warm in bed. 

This night Aomine lay alone in their bed, shivering. Tetsu had not even come home at all. He had just left a scrap of paper on the kitchen sink telling him he would go out. Aomine turned around in his bed, pulling up his legs so they did not stick out from under the blanket. He knew it was his own fault, for he had promised several times now that he would ease up on the dangerous work. Twice he had been in the hospital with shotwounds, the last one so bad that he had almost not made it. Both times, Tetsu had been exhausted afterwards, staying in the hospital whenever he did not have to work. 

Still, as the hours ticked by and Aomine could find no sleep, he got angrier and angrier. How could he make things right if Tetsu didn’t even want to talk with him? Or not even come to their home?

Finally he heard the lock turn of the front door. He jumped out of bed and ran into the hallway.

“Where have you been?”

Tetsu did not look at him. “Out.”

“You should have called me.”

“I left a note.” Tetsu took off his shoes and coat. He walked straight at Aomine, and then past him, into the living room. The door closed into Aomine’s face. 

Clenching his fists, he threw it open. “Who did you go with?”

The shorter man took off his pants and sweater. Calmly he walked to the couch, where he had laid out a shirt already. Seeing Tetsu in only his underwear made Aomine forget for a second what he was going to say. It had been too long since he had touched him.

Tetsu put on the too large white shirt, picked up his blanket and sat down, ready for bed. Aomine and his question were ignored. 

Furious, he grabbed the pillow before Tetsu could put his head on it and threw it across the room. “Are you fucking someone else?”

For the first time in weeks Tetsu’s eyes focused on him. “Do you care?”

Anger made him almost blind. The idea that Tetsu had just been in bed with someone else made him want to destroy something. He stood right in front of him, bowing down so his face was only an inch or two from Tetsu’s. “Who?”

Tetsu shrugged, though he breathed harder, like he was afraid. 

Suddenly Aomine’s anger faded and he sat down next to him. “Shit, you don’t need to be scared of me.” 

“Scared?”

“I mean it, Tetsu.” He sighed. “It’s just that… the idea that you…”

“I…”

“You don’t have to tell me. I don’t want to know. Just don’t… don’t do it again.” Aomine covered his face with his hands. 

Tentatively, Tetsu laid a hand on his knee. “I wasn’t scared now. I was scared when you were in the hospital.”

Aomine looked up. “I know… they told me you were there most of the time.”

“I don’t think you know how scared I was.”

Tetsu stared ahead of him, at the television that wasn’t on. That was Aomine’s cue to put his arm around him. It took a moment, but then Tetsu relaxed and laid his face on his shoulder. “You made a promise.”

“I know I messed up. ”

“And now you think I cheated on you?”

Aomine pulled him closer. “You didn’t?”

“I’ve only ever been with you, Daiki.”

He briefly closed his eyes, letting a wave of relief wash over him. “So you’re not going to leave or something?”

“That depends on you.”

Aomine nodded. “I’ll be off it in a week or two. I swear.”

Tetsu gave him his stern look. “That’s what you said last time.”

In response Aomine nipped at the skin that Tetsu’s shirt left exposed. He let out one of those delicious soft sounds that Aomine so loved. “It’s been a long time.”

Tetsu said nothing, but tilted his neck, offering it to his lips. 

“Must have been rough sleeping here.”

“My back hurts a bit.” Tetsu’s fingers went into Aomine’s dark hair. 

“Sleeping without me, I meant.”

“It was okay.” 

Aomine’s hand slid down, over Tetsu’s bare legs, caressing the inside of his thighs. The pale boy shuddered, moaning softly at his touch. 

A grin spread on Aomine’s face. “Liar.”


	3. Nigou meets Aomine

Aida Riko usually took the dog to the park behind her house, but this Saturday she had enough time for a long walk. A slight breeze made sure it was not too hot and she enjoyed the exercise. Walking this way she passed a football field, a basketball court and many joggers. She mumbled their stats, as far as she could determine them, while Nigou wandered hither and thither.

“Haha, hey!”

Her eyes widened. Aomine Daiki knelt right in front of Nigou, stretching out his hand. The dog sniffed it and began to wag its tail.

“You wanna play, huh?” He looked up at Aida and his grin faded somewhat when he recognized her.

“You’ve been running for fifty minutes or so?” she asked, looking at the way he breathed.

“About.” He stood up. “That’s your dog, right?”

“We all take care of it together.” She paused for a moment. “You can touch him if you like.”

Aomine looked down at the dog again. Nigou jumped up, putting his front legs on Aomine’s pants, tail wagging like crazy now.

“Who’s a good dog?” The Touou player picked Nigou up. “Look at those big eyes!”

“I did not think you would like dogs so much,” Aida said.

“I don’t all that much, but this one…”

Aida watched for a while, as Aomine picked Nigou up, laughing.

“Doesn’t he remind you of someone?” she asked quietly.

“Huh? Someone?”

“Anyone you know.”

“A person? How can a dog look like a person?”

“Never mind,” Aida said, still watching him intently. “Just a figure of speech.”

“It’s the cutest dog I’ve ever seen.” Aomine put him down.

“He likes you too, he’s usually not that expressive.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.”

“Well gotta go. See ya.”

“Goodbye.”

She watched him as he jogged on, and stayed at her spot on the sidewalk after he had turned the corner. The final piece of the puzzle that was Kuroko Tetsuya had fallen into place.

Next week she would let him walk Nigou this way.


	4. Long Time

Aomine dropped his keys to the floor and stepped in. Finally –finally- he would see Tetsu again. He pulled the front door closed behind him and ran into the dark living room.

Kuroko sat on the couch, blanket covering him. It was past midnight and he had been dozing off as he waited. His eyes lit up when he saw Aomine, and he rubbed the sleep out of them.

“You’re still wearing your shoes.”

“Oh!” Aomine looked down and gave him a goofy smile. “Sorry about that.”

He kicked them off as Tetsu got up.

“Now come here and give me…” His eyes widened.

Tetsu, bravely tried to walk up to him, but he limped. Aomine turned on the main light and now saw the bruises on his face, the bandages around his ankle and wrist.

Within a flash, he was with him, holding him steady as he examined his injuries. “What the fuck happened?”

“Basketball,” Tetsu said simply.

“Basketball? With who?”

“It was my own fault, they didn’t see me.” Tetsu held onto his arm, while Aomine softly touched his hurt ankle.

“They?”

“Just a friendly match.”

Annoyed with his evasions, Aomine picked him up and carried him to the futon in their little bedroom. “Who are they?” he asked, putting Tetsu’s down and making sure he was comfortable. “Kagami?”

“Not just him.”

He frowned. “You want me to go call all of them, or are you going to tell me?”

Tetsu often won the staring contests between them, but in a case like this Aomine was unbeatable.

“Kise-kun too.”

Aomine raised himself up. “I’m going to get those fuckers.”

Just in time, Tetsu held onto his arm. “I told you. It was my fault. They were trying to see who was faster. I just got in the way.”

“More like they started running around like baboons and crashed into you. Those two get way too competitive.”

Tetsu raised an eyebrow. “I live with another one such.”

“I’ve never hurt you,” he said immediately.

“Not physically.”

Aomine’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”

He could tell Tetsu had not meant to say anything like that, for he looked away and bit his lip.

“Out with it; what did I do now?”

“Nothing.” Tetsu faced him again. “Really. I just recalled what happened when we were in school.”

If he had been itching for a fight, Tetsu had just given him the perfect excuse. Instead, he put his thumb on his cheek and slowly caressed the soft skin.

“That must have hurt.”

Tetsu tensed and then relaxed at his touch. “It did a little.”

“I wish I had been here to punch them.”

A smile, at last. “I have no doubt you would avenge my honor.”

He grinned back. “You look kinda cute today.”

Tetsu shifted a little, making more room for the bigger man. “If you want to… we can do it. Just try to not move too…”

Aomine put a finger on his lips. “I don’t hurt you, remember? We can wait a few days.”

“It’s been a long time, though,” Kuroko said wistfully.

“You missed having me inside you, huh?” Aomine asked, lying down so he could spoon him from behind.

“You’re going to get horny if I answer that,” Tetsu said.

 _I’m already horny._ But Aomine did not say that, knowing it would put pressure on him. Tetsu could probably deduce it though; it had been two weeks since they had seen each other.

Still, Aomine controlled himself, making do with covering the both of them with the same blanket and burying his face in Tetsu’s hair. Exhausted from pain and little rest, the smaller boy slept within minutes. He was warm and comforting in his arms and Aomine was glad to be home.

But he hoped Tetsu would be better soon.


	5. Tetsuya

“Next time think don't drag so much stuff with you.”

Aomine had his ugliest expression on his face, holding two picnic baskets. From the moment they had all met at the subway station, Akashi had heard him complain to Kuroko. Akashi thought his own idea of a reunion picnic was excellent, but Aomine was ruining things with his attitude. Kuroko looked tired and unhappy, while even Kise was quieter than usual.

They had to walk a mile or so before they got to the right spot. Aomine nagged Kuroko continuously.

“If it’s too heavy to carry yourself, don’t dump it with me.”

“Daiki,” Akashi paused, having enough. “You are often on top of Tetsuya, aren’t you? In bed I mean.”

They all stopped and Akashi had to keep from laughing at Midorima’s shocked expression.

Aomine raised an eyebrow. “Wha—-what?”

“Does he complain then?” Akashi asked like he was talking about the weather.

“…No.”

“I made Aomine-kun’s favorite dishes,” Kuroko said softly. “And he likes to eat a lot, that’s why I carry so much.”

At that all the Generation of Miracles, even Midorima, glared at Aomine.

Aomine raised his hands in defeat. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“You should ask Tetsuya for forgiveness, not us,” Akashi said, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort.

“Sorry,” Aomine mumbled.

But that he really was, Akashi noticed when they had settled down to eat. Aomine poured Kuroko’s drinks, filled his bowl and rubbed his hands when the wind got chilly. And he only relaxed when Tetsuya smiled again.


	6. In the Forest

The police car really needed to be washed. His sergeant had made that very clear this morning when he had placed a wet rag on his shoulder, soaking his shirt. Problem was that they were all overworked, what with the murder rate going up year after year and the overtime they had all made. Last summer, Aomine had spent quite a few nice days with Tetsu outside, but this one he slept through most days, because he had the night shifts. 

This one free day, he had wanted to take Tetsu to the beach or something. What he had not expected was that he would have to find him in the middle of nowhere just because Kise had dragged him to a photo shoot.

The forest he drove into was nice though. He had not seen that many trees for quite a long time and he enjoyed breathing the fresh air that came in through his open window. 

When his GPS told him he was almost at the right spot, a bright, yellow van caught Aomine’s attention. Around it a bunch of people from the fashion world were having lunch, sitting on crates and sheets. A female photographer stood up when he slowed his car down. 

“Hey officer. Is anything the matter?”

He doubted they had really noticed Kuroko, so he said; “Looking for one of your models. Kise Ryouta.”

“No problems?”

“No. He’s an old friend.”

She swatted at a fly sitting on her camera. “He’s taking a walk with his boyfriend.”

That was new. “Boyfriend?”

“Yes. Short guy, very light hair. What was his name? Kurono or something.”

It was like she had slammed the camera in his face. “That’s not his boyfriend!”

She raised her eyebrow at his vehemence. “Well, it sure looked like he was.”

“Yeah, Kise was all cuddly with him.” A handsome model with long flowing black hair mimicked Kise hugging someone. “Ryou-chan sure seemed smitten.”

Aomine clenched his fists; he was so angry he could barely find words. 

“You’re not one of his crazy fans, are ya?” the photographer asked, suspiciously. 

“I don’t care about Kise. I just want to find Tetsu… Kuroko that is,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You seem to be angry,” the model pointed out. “You’re not gonna punch Ryou, are you?”

“If you do, avoid the face. We still need a few close-ups of that,” the photographer said, making the others laugh. 

“Just tell me where they went… please.”

“They walked off that way,” she said, pointing to a path leading away from the clearing. “And please tell Kise that he’s supposed to be back here in twenty minutes.” 

“Thanks.”

Aomine strode to the path and left them behind in the clearing. Birds sang and he felt a pleasant breeze on his cheeks, but did not really enjoy it. Kise was always clingy with Tetsu. Not enough to justify him getting pissed off about it, but it had irked him for a long while. 

Now that it had gotten to the stage that people actually thought he was Tetsu’s boyfriend, it had to stop. 

For minutes he walked, faster with each that passed. His schedule had been so messed up lately that he really had not seen much of Tetsu. He hoped he would not be so starved of affection that he would go too far with Kise. Something told him that he was being ridiculous, but the thought nagged at him. What if he found them kissing or making out?

The path curved and as soon as he turned left, he saw them sitting together against a tree. He ran forward, opened his mouth, but Kise saw him. His finger came in front of his own mouth, indicating Aomine should be quiet. 

Tetsu was sound asleep, lying against Kise’s chest. The blond model had laid his own chin on his mop of unruly hair. His arms were around Tetsu as he rested. 

“I’ll take him home.”

“Wait,” Kise whispered. “He’s tired.”

“Maybe you still don’t get it.” Aomine stepped forward. “But Tetsu’s mine.”

Kise held up his hands. “We’re just resting.” 

“He might be, but you’re not. And you know it.”

Kise looked down. 

“This ends here,” Aomine said. “I let it go on for too long already.”

Kise met his eyes. “He’s not your property.” 

“No, but if it comes down to it, who do you think he’ll choose?”

Kise sighed. “I know he’s all about you. But sometimes… you know… I just really like being around him and…”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Aomine saw Tetsu stir and gently shook him. “Tetsu, time to go.”

Those eyes fluttered open. “Hmmm, Kise-kun?”

That pissed him off even more. 

“We go now,” Aomine said brusquely. “Kise is going to be very busy for a few months. You’d better say goodbye, since you won’t be seeing him for a while.”

Kise opened his mouth to protest, but Aomine glared at him in such a way that he closed it again. 

“Goodbye, Kise-kun.” Kuroko stood up and stifled a yawn. 

Aomine put his hand on the small of Tetsu’s back, guiding him back to the path. 

“Goodbye, Kurokocchi,” Kise said softly.


	7. Two birthdays

**18th Birthday.**

“I know they can be a handful, especially on sugar,” Tetsu said as he swept another piece of cake into the dustpan. “But you did enjoy seeing them again, right?”

Retrieving two more wayward plastic cups from underneath Tetsu’s sofa, Aomine grunted his assent.

“Your cousin is funny, Kagami-kun couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.”

Tetsu threw the collected crumbs and dust into the trashcan. His hair cut neatly two days before, he had worn his newest clothes for Aomine’s eighteenth birthday. Though Kise had spilled beer on his blue shirt, Tetsu still cut an attractive figure. Aomine’s gaze fell on him again, as it had so often this evening. 

“You got a lot of presents,” Tetsu continued a little nervously. “You seemed to like the shoes. It’s the right size, isn’t it?”

Closing the distance between them, Aomine nodded.

“So I hope you got everything you wanted tonight,” Tetsu said and looked up at him.

“I didn’t.” Aomine stepped closer still.

“No?” Tetsu whispered.

Aomine gently tilted his chin and caressed it, waiting to see if Tetsu would pull away. When he didn’t, Aomine leaned in and kissed him.

Wrapping his arms around him, Tetsu pulled him against his smaller body. What started with hesitation, immediately changed into a passionate embrace. Aomine’s grip on him was like iron, but instead of feeling constricted, Tetsu pressed ever closer to him. 

“Finally,” he said softly, when Aomine finished undoing the buttons of his shirt and kissed him low in the neck.

“Yeah,” Aomine agreed, pulling him towards the sofa, his hands roaming down Tetsu’s bare skin.

**22nd Birthday**

Unusually quiet since the morning, Tetsu had barely congratulated him with his birthday. There had been no present and none of the usual teasing with his age. They walked home together after dinner with Aomine’s parents. Tetsu had politely talked to them, but his mind had been somewhere else. 

They took up the elevator to the sixth floor without talking. After unlocking the steel door, they stepped into the small apartment they had rented since they had started university. 

Aomine decided to make tea for him, giving Tetsu some time to gather his thoughts. When he took the pot into the little living room, Tetsu sat on the sofa, a letter in his hands. 

“We will have to leave within two weeks after graduation. Before they said we had more than a month.”

Handing him a cup, Aomine sat down next to him and read the letter. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tetsu tensed up. “No?”

“If we can’t rent something, we can think about going to the US and play.” Aomine wasn’t worried. They had played there before in tournaments and scouts had swarmed around them like bees around flowers. "And then we can buy something there."

“Buying?” Tetsu asked, astonished. 

“We don’t need to live in it forever,” Aomine said. “We can sell it and buy something in Japan in a few years.”

For a long time, Tetsu was quiet. His face turned away from him, Aomine only saw how upset he was when he stood up. 

“Excuse me,” he whispered and hastened himself from the room. 

Dumbfounded, Aomine remained on the sofa. He had not seen Tetsu like this since they had been in Junior High School. What had ticked him off?

Taking a sip to fortify himself, Aomine then put down his cup and made his way to their bedroom. 

Tetsu sat on the edge of the bed, his back toward him. When Aomine entered, his slender fingers curled. Aomine kicked off his slippers and lay down on his back, next to him. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry,” Tetsu said softly. “Give me a few moments and I will…”

“Just tell me what is wrong,” Aomine urged. 

Still not looking at him, Tetsu took a sip of his tea and put the cup on the floor. “I never knew you saw your future with me, until just now.”

Shocked, Aomine sat up. “What?”

“Well, you never talk about it. I figured you would start working, move out and then marry one day.”

Watching his back, Aomine waited a while before talking again. When he did, his voice was soft. “From the day I turned eighteen, I thought we’d stay together.”

“You did?” Tetsu asked, turning around for the first time. 

Frustrated, Aomine lay down again. “Yeah. But it seems I couldn’t even make you understand that. I suck at keeping you happy.”

“You don’t,” Tetsu said, still with a trembling voice. “I just didn’t think it would last.”

Not trusting himself, Aomine stared hard at the ceiling. He remembered well how Tetsu’s unhappiness had affected him in Junior High School. 

Knowing this, Tetsu lay down against him, his lips near Aomine’s ears. “I would like to buy a house with you. Do you want to live in a city?”

“I guess,” Aomine answered, grateful for the change of topic. “Unless you want to live near a forest or something ?”

“Sounds good.” Tetsu opened a button of his shirt and kissed his chest. “We can look for houses tomorrow.”

Aomine put his arm around Tetsu, pulling him closer. The other boy looked relieved, but exhausted and Aomine realized he had walked around with these fears for years. “I’ll try to talk more about stuff like that, but I’m bad at it.”

“Practice,” Tetsu said, his fingers trailing down Aomine’s chest. 

“Not now.” Aomine rolled on top of him. “There are some things I can’t do while talking.”


	8. Permission to Kiss

They both lay on their stomachs in Aomine’s opulent bed. Tetsu’s finger pointed at something in the paper he had been helping Aomine with and his mouth moved, delivering explanations. 

Aomine had stopped listening a few minutes ago and just watched him. Kuroko's feet were up as he talked, and his shirt had slid back enough to expose some skin. The last few weeks had been better than they had in a long time, because Tetsu felt at ease enough again to want to help him with his English. 

“So if you proofread, make sure you kept all the sentences short. If you must put in something more complicated, let me check it.”

Tetsu got to another page and marked a sentence with his red pen. “You see here? This is where you should start a new paragraph, otherwise it gets too…”

“Tetsu,” he cut in. 

“Yes?”

He shoved his shirt back even more and let his hand rest on the small of his back. “I like you very much.”

Light blue eyes grew bigger. “You mean…”

“I mean I want to touch you. Kiss you. Can I?”

He took his hand back and looked at him, hoping for a favorable answer. Tetsu seemed to struggle with something, yet Aomine did not push for a reply. He only wanted it if he did not feel pressured. 

“Yes."

A wave of relief washed over Aomine. He smiled and caressed his cheek. Then he leaned in, tasting the feel of his soft lips. 

Tetsu’s eyes closed before his, and he slid his arm over Aomine’s back. Aomine slid his tongue in, teasing Tetsu’s before pulling back. 

He kissed his neck, making Tetsu shiver and went back to his mouth again, now initiating a deeper kiss. Tetsu was far more welcoming than he had expected. His enthusiasm turned Aomine on even more and he rolled him on his back. 

Smiling, Tetsu played with his fingers. “You have to finish your paper first.”

“That can wait.”

“It can’t.”

Aomine looked down on him, eyes narrowing. 

Tetsu met his gaze. “Paper first.”

“And after that I can kiss you again?”

“Promise.”


	9. Destroy Me

Kuroko put a travel bag on the counter and one on the floor. A smile played on his face, one that Aomine was about to destroy.

Happily, the shorter boy rummaged in the plastic bag and took out a book. 

“My mother helped me get this for you. It’s about unsolved crimes of the last few decades. See? It’s the last edition,” he said proudly.

Aomine said nothing. Kuroko had grown so at ease with him that he chatted more than he would with anyone else. That would be gone soon too. 

“I trust you wrote your papers? If not, I can help you with….” Kuroko’s eyes met his. “What is it? Are you okay, Aomine-kun?”

His concern made the guilt he felt even worse. He dared not look at Kuroko for more than a split second. 

“I did something bad…I…”

Worried, Kuroko walked over and laid his hand on his shoulder. 

“There was someone… it meant nothing….I…”

The sudden realization and failing smile were horrible to witness. “You slept with someone else.”

Aomine took a deep breath. “It was nothing. Meant nothing.”

Kuroko pulled back his hand. 

“Just a one-night thing, I hadn’t seen her in years.”

“I thought...I thought we had said….” Kuroko’s voice broke. With a slap he dropped the book on the floor and turned on his heels. 

“Tetsu! Listen. It was…”

“Don’t even think of coming to my bed!” Kuroko’s voice was as loud as it got, but the door closed without a sound. 

Aomine stared at it for a while and then kicked the wall, hurting his big toe. He would have kicked himself if he could. With a sigh, he walked to the kitchen and picked up the book. It was exactly what he needed for that paper. Nigo stared at him. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m stupid,” he grumbled at the dog. 

That night he remained up in the living room until past midnight, working on his paper. Kuroko did not come out once and Aomine figured he probably slept. On a day like this, almost a year ago, when Kuroko had just gotten home from a weekend too and they had done it twice, Kuroko had demanded it; no more others or he would leave. Aomine had agreed, knowing he would rather lose those flings than Kuroko.

Maybe other people thought Kuroko was a weakling, because he was soft-spoken and small, but Aomine knew he had an iron will. He would perhaps move out and leave him. 

This idea kept him up until he sank to sleep on the sofa. When he woke well past ten, Kuroko had gone, probably to one of his lectures. 

Finishing his paper took the better part of his day. Normally Kuroko would cook on Monday, but he did not show up at all. At nine Aomine called him, but got no response. At eleven he was really worried. None of his texts or calls were answered. 

Half an hour later, his phone beeped and saw Midorima’s number appear. Before the green-haired guy could say anything, Aomine blurted out; “Is he with you?”

“What have you done this time?” Midorima said annoyed. “He barely said a word and then fell asleep on my rocking chair in his clothes.”

Aomine felt a surge of relief. “Did you put a blanket on him?”

“Yes. You better fix this.”

“Thanks.” He hung up before the other boy could say anything else. Midorima lived in a dorm two blocks away from their little apartment. He could easily walk there, but thought it would not do to go over there now and cause a scene. 

Kuroko stayed there another night and though Midorima sent him an annoyed text about it, Aomine knew he did not mind it as much as he pretended. 

Kuroko came home on Wednesday, ignored him completely when he greeted him. He spent a few minutes in his room, before emerging and heading out again. 

Aomine stood up. “Thank you for the book. It’s really helpful.”

The door opened and Kuroko walked out without looking at him. 

He had a few lectures himself that day, so he headed to school and played basketball with a few seniors to lose some of his stress. 

Coming home, he was relieved to see Kuroko’s shoes in the hall. He was about to knock his door to talk, when he saw a brochure about living in the dormitories. Grabbing it, he took it to the kitchen and threw it in the trashcan. So Kuroko did indeed plan to move out on him. The tension that had filled him ever since he had been stupid enough to accompany Mika to a hotel, surged up into real fear. 

He went into the living room and stared once more at that closed door. Suddenly hit with an idea, he ran to his own room for pen and paper. 

_I am very sorry. I will never do it again. Please don’t leave me._

It was short and to the point. Satisfied with it, he taped it to the milk carton, which Kuroko was bound to use when he made himself a milkshake. 

On edge, he stopped himself from saying anything those few seconds Kuroko would pass him by the next two days. Not once did he enter the kitchen. 

Worrying about this got him chewed out by his favorite professor. She suggested he should leave the lecture hall if he thought criminal law was not important. At that point he decided to knock Kuroko’s door until he would let him in and talk. 

With this in his mind, he hurried home and ran up the stairs. Barging into their little apartment, he was surprised to find Kuroko sitting on the sofa with an empty glass. 

“Oh!” he let out. 

Kuroko looked up, some pain still in his eyes. “I read it.”

“Ah.”

“I’ll forgive you.”

Aomine smiled in relief and sat down. He reached out for him, but Kuroko put his hand on his chest to keep some distance. “However, I shall also have the right to sleep with someone of my choice.”

“What!?” 

Kuroko’s blue eyes assed him coolly. “It’s only fair, isn’t it?”

“You think I’ll let some jerk touch you?” Aomine yelled. 

“I see. I’d better leave.”

Defeated, Aomine clenched his hands into fists. “Who?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Don’t do it, Tetsu,” he whispered, pulling him close. But even as his hands slipped under Kuroko’s shirt and his lips latched onto the pale skin of his neck, Kuroko did not say anything to reassure him. 

*

In the last few months, Aomine had tried his best to make Kuroko forget about it. He had reigned in his tendency to be obnoxious to others. He had also learned how to make a good vanilla milkshake and been extra attentive to him in bed. When spring fell, he began to relax a little. Kuroko started smiling at him again. Most of his wariness disappeared. 

This was until he came back from an exam in the morning and he opened their door to barking far louder than Nigo’s. A big dog ran into the hallway, wagged his tail at him, before running off with Nigo. 

“Tetsu, you got another one?” Aomine yelled while kicking off his shoes. 

Kuroko walked into the hallway, with that cute new apron. Aomine leaned in for a kiss. Kuroko gave him a quick one, but stepped back. “We have a visitor.”

The moment Aomine saw the guy on the sofa, he knew it was going to be him. Muscled, and about as tanned as he was, the man’s gaze stuck to Kuroko. 

“Who are you?” Aomine demanded. 

Kuroko stepped in, holding a big spoon. “This is Fujimoto-san, my friend from my old neighborhood. We’re going to the beach.”

“The beach?” Aomine repeated. 

“Yes in Chiba, it’s great for the dogs.”

“And…?”

“We’re going to visit his beach house. Just baked cookies to eat. Do you want to try one?”

“No, thanks,” he said testily. He glared at the man on the sofa. Fujimoto was handsome with his dark flowing hair. Aomine guessed he was perhaps a year or two older than they were.

Kuroko took off his apron and gestured at his friend. “Shall we go?”

“Yeah.” Fujimoto glanced at Aomine. “Nice meeting ya.”

“Wait, Tetsu.” 

“Yes?” he said. 

“Let’s talk for a minute.”

“Ehm. We’re a bit late already.”

Aomine’s eyes narrowed. “A minute.”

Kuroko nodded. “Fujimoto-san, would you mind waiting outside?”

“No prob.” The man held up his hand in salute and left.

“What’s the matter?” Kuroko asked, clutching the bag with cookies. 

“I don’t like how he looks at you.”

“Oh?”

“You’re not going to tell me you didn’t notice eh? He wants to fuck you.”

“And?”

“AND? I don’t want you to go with him!”

Kuroko crossed his arms, something he almost never did. “Even if what you say is true. And even if I let him, it’s still none of your business.”

For a few seconds Aomine was so angry he couldn’t speak. 

“You forfeited that right,” Kuroko said softly. 

Aomine put his arm in front of him, blocking his way. “Don’t do it.”

“If not with him, it will happen with someone else. Would it not be better if we got it out of the way?” Kuroko said. He slid under Aomine’s arm. “Don’t wait up, Aomine-kun. I won’t be early.”

Shaking with frustration, Aomine heard the car pull up and drive off quickly. Only now the full implications of his carelessness all those months ago hit him. How he felt now, was how Kuroko had felt; jealous, inadequate and unneeded. 

To get rid of some of that tension and energy, he put on his sneakers and ran. He had no idea of his surroundings, kept running through the city, out and back in again. The only thing that his mind could focus on were images of that jerk taking off Kuroko’s clothes and spreading his legs. 

Twice he was almost overrun by a car. He did not care for the anger of the drivers and only got home around 11. His shirt was completely drenched with sweat and his hair stood right up. Kagami had compared this look once with a scarecrow. He laughed bitterly. Kagami had often annoyed him, but at least he had never tried to get into Kuroko’s pants. 

He showered and then grabbed his phone to type in a message. 

 

_Come home now._

An hour passed without reply, so he sent another one. 

_Tetsu, I’m going mad. Don’t let him touch you._

Agitated, he went to the kitchen. The last alcohol was a bottle of wine bought by Kuroko. Only a glass was left. Grateful regardless, he took it to his bedroom and downed it. He fell asleep waiting for a reply, the tension and crazy run having taken all his energy. Just after dawn he woke up by sounds from the bathroom. 

Aomine jumped up and opened the door. Kuroko washed himself with a cloth. Bitemarks and love bites spread all over the back of his neck, down his shoulders. 

Kuroko turned around and faced him quietly. 

“Fuck!” Aomine screamed when he saw Fujimoto had also sucked the area near his nipples. He grabbed the glass from which he had drunk wine hours before and threw it at the wall. The pieces fell on his floor. 

He reached for Kuroko. Gasping, the boy tried to escape, but Aomine had none of it. Furiously, he latched his lips onto his shoulder, covering an earlier bite, and started to suck. 

“Aomine-kun, ah!”

His darkened eyes silenced Kuroko, and he moved onto the second one, biting it. Kuroko moaned, yet still tried to pry him off him. 

“I will remove all his traces off you,” Aomine snarled, grabbing his ass. “And then I’ll erase him. Completely. ”

There, another one of those sickening spots. Aomine put his fingers to it and pushed hard, before bruising it with his teeth. “Did you like it? Did you like it, ah?” he demanded, undoing the cord around his bathrobe. 

“I didn’t want…”

“But you did. Just to hurt me. Well, it worked.” Aomine’s voice turned hoarse. “How many times did he fuck you?”

Kuroko swallowed and then caressed his hair. “This is how you hurt me before. Do you understand that?”

Aomine sighed deeply and nodded. 

“Listen: he touched me, yes. But I did not let him… ‘fuck’ me.”

Aomine straightened instantly. “No?”

“No.” Kuroko looked away. 

For a moment they both stood frozen. Aomine’s hand touched his cheek. He leaned down and kissed him. The sense of relief he felt as Kuroko’s hands came around him was indescribable. His lips went over his pale skin, far gentler than before, until they reached his ear. “I still want to kill him though.”

The shorter boy almost chuckled. “You still want to be with others?

“No.” Aomine opened Kuroko’s bathrobe. He stared possessively at his beautiful naked body, now mostly marked by his own bites. Kneeling, he laid his face against Kuroko’s flat stomach. “We will never go through this again.”

The end.


	10. Sick of Others

Friday.

The day Aomine would go out and drink, party and sometimes fuck someone. Once that someone had been Kuroko.

Two months ago they had dinner in a restaurant by the water and spent hours talking and drinking. Aomine had led him to the river bank and taken him in the grass. 

And now Kuroko suffered every Friday, because he knew Aomine would be with someone else. He stared at his computer screen, trying to write the conclusion for the paper that was due on Monday. Nothing came to him. His thoughts kept flashing back to that one night when he had let himself go. Aomine had been so strong, so wild, grabbing him as if he felt the same passion Kuroko had always felt for him. Just for that night Kuroko had allowed himself to believe it.

Since then they had barely spoken. From Kise he had heard that Aomine seldom came to the university anymore. Scouts had noticed him and Kuroko doubted not that he would soon be a professional basketball player. It would widen the distance between them even more.

Kuroko usually did not drink tea in the evening, since it kept him from sleep, but decided to have some now. Nigo lifted his head, watching Kuroko as he made his way to the tiny kitchen of his apartment. The doorbell rang, so he put the kettle down on the counter and went to the front door, hoping it would not be a fellow student begging for notes. 

An impatient knock followed, stopping Kuroko in his tracks. He knew only one person who knocked that way. It would be rude not to open it, but the last thing he wanted was a drunk Aomine trying to set things right. That would likely make it worse.

“Tetsu?”

He sighed. No matter what he told himself, there was no way he would let Aomine stand outside his door like that. 

“About time, you were gonna leave me here?” Aomine said as he opened it.

“I was in the kitchen.”

“Not that far, even for you, huh?

Kuroko crossed his arms. “Why are you here?”

Aomine closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. “I needed to see ya.”

“Are you drunk?” 

“No. Didn’t want to be. I have to tell you something. About when we had sex.”

“You do not owe me anything,” Kuroko said quickly. “Just go and do what you always wanted.”

Aomine frowned. “And what’s that?”

“Go to America. Play basketball. Become famous, have everything and everyone you want.”

“You don’t get it,” Aomine said. “Tetsu, it’s…”

To Aomine’s surprise, Kuroko shook his head violently. “I don’t want to hear anymore. It was just a drunken thing for you, but you know it was not that for me. I want you to be happy in your life, but I do not want to see you with….”

Aomine stepped forward and kissed him.

Utterly confused, Kuroko allowed him. His mind told him to stop, that it would only make it more painful when Aomine left. Yet his arms came around his taller friend and he kissed back with all the hunger he felt for him.

Breaking away, Aomine licked his lips.

“Was this goodbye?” 

“Silly Tetsu.” Aomine took his hand. 

Kuroko looked up at him, questioning him with his eyes. 

“I wouldn’t mind being famous, yeah, and have nice stuff, but the only person I want to have…” He pulled Kuroko close and kissed him on his hair. “I’m sick of those others. All of them.”

Kuroko closed his eyes, relieved beyond words, and laid his face on Aomine’s strong chest. “Me too.”


	11. Not Mine

This was not how Kagami had expected basketball camp in the mountains would be. They were supposed to have fun. 

Play, run, laugh, eat. 

They did, most of them. Touou players challenged Seirin players and Shutoku watched them with studied disdain. The food was above average and plenty of it provided. Smiles everywhere. But on Kuroko’s face.

Kagami’s shadow had seemed paler and his presence more diminished when they had reached the camp. Only when they looked at the lists of who would room with whom, did something sparkle. Judging by the expression on his face, it was not happiness he felt, but a quiet despair. Kagami did not get it. Okay, he was not close friends with Aomine anymore, but that was no reason to be so upset about rooming with him. 

The redhead turned around in his bed, glancing at his digital alarm clock. It had been more than an hour since he had heard the last noises in the hall, but he could still not fall asleep, He wondered about Kuroko. 

Even before they had arrived at the camp, Aomine had not been able to leave Kuroko alone, calling him all the time and showing up at their school once. Ever since they had arrived, he had constantly sought him out to argue about something. 

It annoyed Kagami a lot. Every time he came closer or asked Kuroko about it, he got nothing but vagueness. He remembered the way Kuroko had been that morning, so different from those days before, when he had been pale misery. This morning he had barely talked, but his cheeks had a hint of redness he had never seen on him before. Though he had walked less nimble than the day before, he smiled at strange times. Aomine wouldn’t hit or manhandle him, Kagami believed, but might have manipulated Kuroko in doing some late night exercises or even a secret practice game to crush his confidence. Perhaps he had driven Kuroko mad.

Kagami could not longer contain himself. He jumped from his bed and put on a damp shirt. He fumbled trying to get his shoes and put them on his bare feet. His Shutoku roommate snored and turned around in his bed. Good. Satisfied that he was sleeping, Kagami snuck out of his room and felt his way to the stairs. He almost stumbled over a bag, and caught himself against the wall. Kuroko and Aomine were in one of the few rooms on the ground floor and it took him a while to find it in the dark. The door was closed, and locked, he guessed. 

Part of him wanted to kick the door until it broke, but that would give Aomine enough time to conceal what he had been doing. So he put his ear against the wooden door. Quiet? No, there was a muffled sound. Pressing closer, he caught something again. 

Dying with curiosity and indignation, Kagami decided to go out and try to see in through the window. Nobody spotted him, everyone had been exhausted with the training menu earlier. The only people awake were himself, Kuroko and Aomine. 

A fence surrounded the building everywhere but the door. Kagami had no trouble jumping over it. He counted. Four windows onwards should be their room. 

Making sure not to stumble again, he reached it and peered through the part of the glass that was not covered by a curtain. His mouth fell open. 

By the small light on a cabinet, he could see Kuroko sitting on top of Aomine. For a moment it didn’t make sense. Were they fighting? But how could Kuroko have overpowered Aomine like that?

Then Kuroko’s head fell back, his lips parting in a soundless gasp and Kagami understood. Astonished, he watched, as Kuroko moved leaning on Aomine’s chest. Big hands supported him. They both seemed to be in absolute bliss, their movements frantic. 

Kuroko’s left hand sought Aomine’s right, pulling it up to kiss it. Aomine took his other hand and entwined their fingers. He had slowed the rhythm of his hips and reached up as Kuroko leaned down. Their kiss was sloppy and soon broken, but tore through Kagami like fire.

He then blew out a deep breath when Aomine grabbed Kuroko and switched them around.

The bed shook as Aomine once more picked up the pace. If he had not known Kuroko, Kagami would have believed Aomine’s powerful thrusts would be too much for such a delicate boy. Yet it was obvious from the way he moved that Kuroko needed this badly. It hit Kagami with a shock that he must have wanted Aomine for years.

What Kagami hated most was how they looked at each other when they came, moaning and trembling, but eyes still seeking each other out. 

Aomine collapsed on Kuroko, whose fingers caressed his darker hair. Both tried to regain their breath. When Aomine rolled off, he pulled Kuroko with him. They fell asleep like that, closer than Kagami had ever been to anyone. 

Swallowing, he stepped away from the window. He ran back up the stairs, not stopping until he reached the roof.

For a long time he stood there, gaze on the stars, but seeing nothing. 

“Kuroko,” he whispered, not understanding why he was so upset. “And Aomine.”

He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. 

It did nothing to elevate his pain.


	12. Protector

**Protector**

“That’s what you get for lowering the average in my classes.”

Kuroko took Aomine’s sleeve, trying to pull him along.

But their former teacher laughed, not deterred by the drizzle or their discomfort. “Knew you would amount to nothing. Police did not want you either, huh?”

Aomine stopped.

“Come on,” Kuroko said. “He’s not worth it.”

Their gazes met. Using all his willpower, Kuroko managed to get Aomine to walk again. A few metres onwards was a bank. If he could get him in there, Suzuki-sensei would surely not follow them.

“Still together, huh?” The bitter old man spat on the pavement, startling a woman who held her umbrella above her dog. “You two were always disgusting like that.”

Aomine spun around. Kuroko, anticipating the movement, placed himself between them. “You are not fit to work in a school.”

Suzuki looked taken aback.

“If you had not been his homeroom teacher, his grades would have been a lot better. They were great at his high school.”

That was not true, but Aomine was not going to protest.

“And yet he looks like a bum,” the teacher sneered. “Got a job collecting garbage, Aomine-kun?”

“No.” Kuroko smiled.

“No job at all then?”

Though Suzuki tried to sound confident, Kuroko’s smile unsettled him.

“Ever heard of the NBA?”

The man’s eyes widened.

“Aomine-kun will receive your yearly salary in two weeks when he starts in September.” Kuroko took Aomine’s hand and turned his palm upwards. “Once they see what this can do, it will be his daily salary.”

“You’re lying!”

“Do you have a TV?” Kuroko asked sweetly.

“What?”

“You will see him there, starting next autumn.”

“You think I believe that?”

But Kuroko ignored the man’s protestations. “Soon Teiko will put his poster on the wall. They do that with all famous former students, if I remember correctly. Your colleagues will all brag about having taught him.”

Suzuki just stared at him with open mouth.

“And so will you.” Kuroko took Aomine’s hand, entwining their fingers. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have cars to shop for.”

No longer did Kuroko look at the miserable man, but Aomine could not but grin widely at his former teacher.

Only when they had turned the corner, did he look at Kuroko again. “You roasted him!”

“I usually don’t talk like that to older people.”

“He deserved it.”

“I believe so too.”

“I love it when you defend me.” Aomine brought his lips less than in inch from Kuroko’s ear. “It makes me horny.”

He laughed when Kuroko blinked at the change in mood.

“Sometimes I do not understand you,” Kuroko said.

“That’s fine. As long as you are always on my side.”

Aomine strode on and Kuroko now had to struggle to keep up.

“I just did not like the way he talked to you. I never did.”

“Did you know?” Aomine asked, a little more serious now. “The only reason I never punched him was that I didn't want to disappoint you.”

“I did not know that,” Kuroko said quietly as Aomine took out his keys.

Aomine unlocked the door. Passing the stairs, he began to smile in anticipation. “I want you now.”

“I’m not going to…oh!” Kuroko’s protest was cut short when Aomine pulled him into the elevator. Even before the doors closed, he kissed him hard.

Kuroko turned his face away from him. “Can you at least wait until we get to your place?”

Aomine shook his head. One hand slid underneath Kuroko’s shirt, while he caressed his hair with the other. Kuroko’s protests melted away. He led Aomine’s tongue slide past his lips. Hooking a leg around the back of Aomine’s knee, Kuroko lifted himself up. The wall of the elevator was cold against his back, but the sudden heat that rose up between them overwhelmed him.

The doors opened and they let go of each other too late. The old lady that lived two doors from Aomine stood right in front of them.

“Nice seeing you, Kishida-san,” Aomine said.

Kuroko, embarrassed, looked away.

To his surprise she did not gasp or make a nasty comment. Instead, she held out a key ring to Aomine. “Please water my plants for a few days. I am going on a trip to Chiba.”

“No problem.”

Kichida-san nodded at them and walked into the elevator.

“How come she was not…?” Kuroko asked.

“Not disturbed by us?” Aomine suggested. “For every jerk like Suzuki there is someone like her. She doesn’t care what I do as long as I am happy.”

Kuroko smiled, relieved. “That is good.”

“Besides,” Aomine added, as he got out his own keys from his pocket. “I told her about you.”

“What did you tell?”

Aomine took his time to answer, but could not help a grin from spreading while he opened the door. “That you like to be fucked against the wall.”

“You did not really tell her that, did you?” Kuroko asked, hurrying in after him.

“Nah.” Aomine kicked off his shoes. “I know you don’t like me talking about our private stuff.”

Kuroko nodded and took off his own shoes, placing them in the corridor. Just when he was about to straighten himself, Aomine grabbed him and pushed him back against the wall. “It’s true though, right?”

Eyes widening, Kuroko held onto Aomine as he was lifted off the floor.

“Admit it.”

“I…”

Kuroko bit back a moan, when Aomine rubbed himself against him. “Or shall I let you down again so we can watch the news?”

“No.” Kuroko sighed and slid his arms around Aomine’s shoulders. “It’s true.”

“What is?” Aomine teased, as his hand snaked downwards.

“That I…” Kuroko shivered when Aomine undid the zipper of his pants. “want to be fucked by you.”

With a growl, Aomine pulled down his pants. His voice was rough when he next spoke. “Oh, you will be.”


	13. Abduction

“Did you see that? Did you see that?” Kagami’s shortest classmate stormed into the classroom during lunchbreak. The boy’s fingers trembled.

“Someone’s got to do something!” Their class representative adjusted her glasses.

“The principal has been warned. They might call the police,” another boy added.

Kagami got off his chair. “What’s going on?”

“Kuroko-kun got abducted!”

“He…what?” Kagami ran for the door. “Who? Where did they go?”

Several people began to talk at once.

“A tall guy with a tan.”

“He just picked him up from the hallway and carried him off.”

“He was so fast!”

“Touou school uniform…”

“I wanted to help, but…”

Kagami sighed, realizing who that had been.

This morning Kuroko had looked tired. He had yawned throughout his classes and barely spoken. When Kagami asked him what was going on, he had just shrugged his shoulders.

Kuroko and Aomine did not fight often any more, but when they did, this was always the result.

A few times, Kuroko’s phone had beeped softly, but he had studiously ignored it.

Apparently, Aomine had now taken it upon himself to steal Kuroko from his school.

“Don’t do anything rash,” Kagami said to his class mates. “It’s just one of his friends, playing a prank.”

Okay, Aomine and Kuroko were more than friends now, but he wasn’t going to tell them that.

“You, gossip-boy.” Kagami pointed at Tanaki. “Make sure the police isn’t called.”

He rushed out. Everywhere in the hall people were talking about Kuroko, so he sped up, wanting this to be solved.

His coach ran into him on the chairs. “Kagami…what happened to…”

Rolling his eyes, he just said. “Aomine.”

Aida frowned. “Those two!”

“Yeah, I know.” Kagami hurried on. He had a fairly good idea of where they were. Whenever Aomine picked Kuroko up from practice, they usually took the path through the park opposite Seirin.

Running, he checked his watch. Ten minutes before maths started. If he got late because of them, he would kick both their asses.

As he entered the park, Kagami saw nobody but an old man walking his dog at first. Glancing left and right, he passed the pond. A flash of movement caught his eye.

Between the cherry blossom trees, two basketball geniuses stood. But they were not arguing, as Kagami had expected.

Instead, they held each other and kissed passionately.

“Idiots!”

Their eyes widened and they glanced at them. For moments they stood there, still entangled and looking at Kagami.

“The whole school is going crazy, they want to call the police!”

“What? Why?” Kuroko let out.

“Because they think that moron abducted you!”

“Oh.”

“Yes…-oh-.” What did you think would happen? Are you as stupid as he is?”

Aomine glared at him. “I needed to talk to Tetsu.”

“Do that after school next time.” Kagami crossed his arms. “Now hurry up, I don’t want the teacher yelling at me because of you.”

Kuroko nodded. “I apologize, Kagami-kun.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get a move on.”

“Wait a moment,” Aomine said, when Kuroko began to walk away from him.

With a smirk at Kagami, Aomine took Kuroko’s chin, tilted it up and left a last gentle kiss on his lips. “See you tonight, Tetsu.”

“Ugh.” Kagami turned away. “Don’t ever set foot at Seirin again.”

“Not today, I won’t.”


End file.
